Burn It Down II: The Bat
by ghostboi
Summary: Batman/Joker. Nolanverse/TDK; "Would he be the better man if he did what his aching body and screaming mind begged for him to do?" In spite of quoted line, only mild slashyness in this one & masochistic thrills. May contain mild spoilers


Title: Burn It Down II - The Bat  
Rating: PG-13 or R.  
Prompt: Regret  
Disclaimers: Chars aren't mine (shakes fist at DC et al), writing is.  
A/N: Wrote this one for the jokerfic comm. Also. i'm not certain if i captured the Batman's 'voice' at all - The Bat's thoughts sound typical to me - you've read them here & there & everywhere. (Not that that's bad! Other people just.. Write them better than I do. haha). Mm.. oh, right. This were inspired quite a bit by Linkin Park's _Pushing Me Away _& _Believe Me_. Concrit welcome; flames.. you can if you must, just be gentle. or really vicious. either way. Also, I do realize the lyrics here fit the first part (Burn It Down I) better, & those there fit this part better. I'm uncertain if the reversal were unintentional or subconsciously deliberate. Mm.

"This is the last smile that I'll fake for the sake of being with you" - Linkin Park & Staind - _Pushing Me Away_

_He knew better than to let the madman get beneath his skin. He knew better than to allow the other to incite his rage. But as he stared out at the city burning, his emotions flared as bright as the flames below. He let his blows fall on the man he held pinned to the ground, one after another; he inflicted pain upon pain, but the lithe figure beneath him only laughed, and moaned, and arched against the blows for more._

_He drew back, rage momentarily spent, to stare down at the mass of chaos embodied in the creature beneath him. He felt a dull pounding behind his eyes, too many nights of holding himself back, hanging precariously onto his control. He was about to lose it, about to let it go, and it would be delivered onto this laughing, half.mad creature beneath him. _

_He asked why. He knew it was just an opening for the smaller man's spewing of rhetoric but he asked regardless. The man's response was quietly simple, "For a taste of you," but it fed the rage burning through him. He felt something inside him crack open, and he began to deliver more blows upon the madman, strike after vicious strike. _

_This game had gone on too long, and tonight he wanted it to end. The consequences were heavy, ominous - they would send him beyond his own personal boundaries, beyond his limits. Would he be the better man if he did what his aching body and screaming mind begged for him to do? He would save future lives, oh he hadn't a doubt of that. Lives & minds would be spared from the chaos that followed the laughing man like a shadow. He would have to sacrifice his own personal boundaries but wouldn't it be worth it? This one time, wouldn't it be worth it? _

_No. No. First this one, then what? What happened when another attempted to follow the Joker's footsteps of flame and destruction? Would he find it acceptable to stop __**that **__one? And the next? And the next? Would he be able to stop himself from meting out that kind of justice again? He would save future lives but he would be sacrificing himself in the process - he wasn't certain if he could live with himself like that. He didn't want that to be his measure of justice. He had enough questioning of himself, enough regrets, already. _

_The blows upon the lithe figure slowed, and he realized the madman was almost completely still. Breathing heavy, chest rising and falling rapidly. Eyes closed, bleeding lips parted. It was then he noticed the painted man was arching into his fists (again), hips undulating against him. The crazy bastard was getting off on this.._

_His fists ceased their movement, resting on the pinned man's chest, as he fought to steady his own harsh breathing. He studied the figure beneath him in silence, watched as the violent green eyes opened slowly._

_He would not carry the regrets of following through with the tempting urges within him. Best to go now before he completely lost control._

"_Hit me again," the breathless words were accompanied with an almost-smile, and then a low giggle; the Bat shook his head, pushed himself off the smaller man. He stood, raised his eyes to his city. They were above the smoke still, but its scent was strong. His city was still burning._

_He delivered a last kick to the madman's ribs - the Joker let out a low, satisfied moan - then he was gone._

"I don't wanna be the one to blame. You like fun & games?  
Keep playing 'em, I'm just saying.  
Think back then we was like one & the same  
On the right track yea but I was on the wrong train  
It's like that, now you gotta face the pain  
& the devil's gotta fresh new place to play  
In your brain like a maze you could never escape  
The rain every damn day's the same shade of gray  
I used to have a little bit of a plan  
Used to have a concept of where I stand  
Now the concept's slipped right through my hand  
Now I don't really even know who I am."

-linkin park & fort minor - _believe me_


End file.
